Black and White
by d27h
Summary: N, Touko, and Touya should be settling down and making new lives for themselves, but the past still comes back to get them quite a bit. Some OC. Chessshipping/ferriswheelshipping.
1. Chapter 1

**Black and White**

_Sorry about not finishing the other stories…couldn't finish them :( But I hope this new one goes well. It's a sort of mishmash of chessshipping and ferriswheelshipping…with some OCs thrown in. Obviously, Pokémon, its characters, and pretty much all of its concepts are not mine, and I claim no ownership._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

The lively nightlife of Striaton City didn't fail to surprise Touko as she looked over the city from the top floor of the newly rebuilt Striaton Restaurant.

Only two years before, Striaton City had been an overlooked little town that prided itself in having the first Gym, as well as the Dreamyard, though no one else seemed to care. Now, it was a slightly downsized version of the bigger places, like Virbank or Nimbasa, or even Castelia.

_No,_ Touko thought with a shake of her head. _Never like Castelia_. She turned back to her food- and the sweaty young man that sat across the table from her.

Kent was jittery, playing with his fork. Every once in a while, he opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Finally, he loosened his awkward pink tie and gasped out: "Any dessert?"

Touko forced a smile. "I'm alright, thank you."

Kent laughed nervously. "Okay, I'll get the bill then." He waved for the waitress.

Touko looked back over Striaton. How many dates had Bianca forced upon her already? It was all with good intention, but Bianca's overenthusiasm was started to itch Touko's nerves. All she really wanted was to go to some place far, far away from Nuvema Town, like Lentimas, and settle down for a while…

Kent helped Touko up from her chair, and she tried to resist flinching away from his damp hand. They walked out of the restaurant, silent, and the two parted with nothing more than a terse "bye".

Touko headed northwest to Route 3 and released her Reshiram as soon as she was alone. The giant white dragon purred gently and nudged its owner.

"Hey, baby," Touko whispered, stroking Reshiram's head. "Was it boring in that Poké ball? Sorry. Let's go back to Opelucid."

The Reshiram leaned down obediently, allowing Touko to climb onto its back and crouch down between its wings. In a fluid motion, the Reshiram flapped its massive wings and hurtled upwards into the night sky.

Touko looked down at the ground as she and her Pokémon flew above it. Bright lights, glistening water, massive bridges…everything that made Unova what it was.

It wasn't long before Reshiram reached an isolated area just outside Opelucid, settling down with a resounding thump and a puff of dust. Touko climbed off and stretched, then returned Reshiram to its ball.

"Thanks, sweetie," she crooned to the little dragon in its ball.

Touko unfolded her bicycle and began pedaling up a barely visible path in the woods surrounding the city. She liked the silence of the forest, how it was quiet even so close to such a busy city and the even busier Route 9. The darkness didn't bother her; after all, she was safe.

Except, on that day, she didn't feel like it. There was the eerie feeling that she was being watched as she stepped off her bike and walked it to her house on the plateau by the Eastern River. Touko peered around before folding her bike back up and hurrying into her house.

The warmth and the faint smell of vanilla was all familiar to Touko, but even the happy photographs on the mantle couldn't get rid of the feeling. She double-checked that all the windows and doors were locked, then sat down in the dining room and put her head in her hands.

The monitor of the Pokémon enclosure beeped, and a picture of Touko's Skitty appeared. Touko smiled and stood to open the glass door that separated the enclosure- which held the Pokémon that Touko didn't use when she was called to battle as Champion- when a loud creaking sound screeched from upstairs.

Touko froze, her hand on the handle of the enclosure door, the Skitty scrabbling at the frame. She slid the door open, hugged the Skitty to her chest, and crept to the staircase.

Her house was old; it used to be on the Village Bridge, but when the Eastern River changed its course a year ago, the people of the bridge were forced to remove a section. That left a miniature ghost town on the other side, with Touko being the only inhabitant. Luckily for her, Opelucid returned a favor from two years before and gave her house lighting, plumbing, and heat. Still, the age of the house meant that it was prone to noises and thumps in the night. Touko was used to them, but she didn't feel particularly brave as she tried to see in the shadows that night.

Something moved at the landing, and Touko whimpered. Her Skitty squirmed; obviously, it had seen it too. Touko released a Pokémon frantically, not knowing which it was. Her Chandelure floated up in front of her face, tilting its body, confused.

Another creak from the staircase. The Chandelure whirled around and drifted up, spinning around once it reached the landing. It flared its flames, then floated back down to Touko.

"What is it?" she asked, her voice barely a breath.

The Chandelure pointed up with one of its candle hands. A faint image appeared before it, and it shaped itself into a person. Touko bit her lip and released the Skitty, which scampered back to the enclosure. It squeezed past one of Touko's Twelve Champs- Pokémon she used for Champion battles-, a Zangoose. The Zangoose crawled over on fours to Touko's side.

"Let's go up," Touko said quietly. Zangoose nodded its head and climbed up, flicking the lights on with its tail as it passed the switch. Chandelure and Touko followed slowly.

Suddenly, Zangoose started yowling, and Touko finally screamed. Chandelure fired off a Shadow Ball into the room above, and there was a heavy thunk in the darkness.

Touko fumbled for the light switch of the hallway and gasped when she saw the person lying there. He was tall and lean, with messy brown hair. The young man was facedown, and Touko carefully turned his head to see his face.

"Oh, dammit, Touya!"

Touko's friend chuckled pathetically. "Didn't think you were so easy to scare, Touko."

"What are you doing here?" Touko leaned against the wall. "And for that matter, why are you wearing all black?"

Touya's smile turned into a grimace as he stood up and brushed himself off. "Thought it might be funny to scare you after yet another failed date."

"You were _watching_ me?"

"Calm down, girlfriend." Touya stepped back as Touko leaned forward with her hands outstretched, ready to strangle. "I didn't trust that guy. Too…weird."

"And who was stalking me?"

"I wasn't-"

Zangoose bared its teeth at the boy, and Touya sighed. "Okay, okay. I was watching you. Just to make sure nothing went wrong…I mean, don't tell me you forgot what happened last time."

Touko flushed and looked away. "I- that guy- Ron was-"

"Anyways, can I stay over? I was going to ask you to help me with Gengar again, but seeing as to how it's midnight and you're in a bad mood, it might be better to have you discipline him tomorrow."

"Fine. Guest room," Touko waved at a door directly to Touya's left. He snickered and pushed the door open, then waved teasingly before slamming it behind him.

Touko stormed down the stairs.

* * *

><p>N sat on the roof of a dilapidated house, watching Touko's silhouette disappear in the light of the upstairs hallway. As soon as the lights turned off, he whistled softly. A window on the second floor opened silently, and a dark figure leaped lithely to the sill of an adjacent window. It closed the window with care, then jumped down to the ground. N slid down and landed in a crouch on in a large patch of grass.<p>

Touya walked towards him, slowly morphing into a Zoroark.

"I do not see why you keep doing this, master," the Zoroark said gruffly, matching its stride to N's. "It will certainly take years off of her life." It huffed.

N gave his Pokémon a sideways glance. "I hate how quickly you learned how to use humor," he said, stopping at the bank of the Eastern River.

"That was not humor, master. I am sure that using Hypnosis, then Dream Eater, on a human is not beneficial."

"Musharna will be careful."

As if on cue, a happy-looking Musharna floated out from the front of Touko's house.

"Did you do your job?" N stretched out a hand to the pink Pokémon. It nodded, and N returned it to its ball with a content smile. Zoroark watched stoically.

"Do you miss her, master?" it asked suddenly.

N stiffened. "I-" He was quiet for a moment. "It would be best…if she didn't know I was still around," he concluded.

Zoroark studied its master, then looked away over the rippling surface of the water. "What," it said slowly. "what was it exactly that happened two years ago?"

N took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair, trying to find an excuse not to answer the question. The Zoroark watched until N felt uncomfortable under his Pokémon's intense scrutiny.

"I-" N started. His mouth opened and closed as he searched for the words that would not come. Finally, he shook his head. "Never mind." He returned Zoroark to its ball, then stood alone on the riverbank, staring up at the dark clouds passing overhead.

* * *

><p>Touko blinked awake; something was tickling her face. It took her a few seconds to realize that she was lying on the ground right outside the enclosure, with an Oddish dancing by her head. She sat up and put the Oddish gently on her lap, stroking its leaves absently as she tried to remember how she got where she was.<p>

Bright sunlight streamed in through the blinds on the windows, painting golden bars on the ground. Motes of dust floated above some of the chairs in the living room. The glass of the photo frames gleamed. And yet, the only thing that Touko could think of was the empty haziness in her memory.

Touko released her Oddish and followed it into the enclosure. It toddled ahead, stopping only when it reached the grass-type room. Touko slowed to make sure that it didn't trip down the little slope leading down to the room, then hurried back to the house.

She tried to occupy herself by doing all the chores she needed to get done. Dust off the tables, draw the drapes, vacuum the floors, water the plants, feed the Pokémon…the monotony of her rituals was calming.

Almost as if nothing ever happened.

* * *

><p>Touya yawned widely. It had only been about an hour since his phone's battery ran out, and he was feeling bored already. Not to mention, his motion sickness was coming back.<p>

He was riding on the ferry that moved people from Virbank to Castelia. Touya wanted to stop at the lighthouse that his sister told him about, the one that Victini had once lived in, but the Liberty Garden Lighthouse wasn't even open. At least there was a Pokémon genetics lab having an open day just outside Nacrene City. He could stop by there.

Touya was thinking about the Castelia Sewers and the horror stories he had heard about it when his Manectric came up behind him and bumped his elbow. It barked once, then nodded towards the front end of the boat. The Castelia City skyline was clear now, and soon the boat would dock. Touya patted his Pokémon on the head and returned it to its ball.

He considered calling Touko; he hadn't seen her in a few months, and he knew that she loved the Hoenn Region restaurant on Spark Street, one of the hidden gems of the Castelia City residential area. Touya pulled out his X-Transceiver and called Touko, waiting for her face to appear on the screen. When she finally picked up, Touya felt his heart pound.

"_Hey, Touya! Been awhile. How are you?_"

"I'm great. And you?"

"_Good. Where are you_?"

"Castelia. Want to meet me at that Hoenn restaurant?"

"_Oh…cool! Actually, I want to go to Café Sonata. I heard that they're having Lyrica tonight."_

"That sounds great. I'll meet you there."

Touya signed off and leaned against the wall of the ferry, clutching the X-Transceiver to his chest. Touko didn't even know how much he missed her, and the fact that she nearly died in the Johto Region certainly didn't help. What she was doing there, he didn't even know. Looking for N, probably.

He shook his head to erase the thought. N was gone, Touya told himself, heading for the exit of the ferry. There's no way Touko's still thinking about him…

Something seemed to tell him that he was wrong.


	2. Chapter 2

**Black and White**

_Onto the second chapter! The first one was ambiguous and whatever on purpose. Hopefully, the second chapter begins to focus a bit more. Again, disclaimers: I claim no ownership of Pokémon, its characters, concepts, etc._

**Chapter 2**

_"__You aren't interested. At all?"_

Touya rolled his eyes at Bianca, sighing as loudly as he could to ensure that she would hear over the X-Transceiver. "No, I don't want to go to the Kalos region. I'm sure it's great, but I really need to stay here."

_"__This is the opportunity of a lifetime. Not many people get offered an all-expenses paid trip to the most modern region in-"_

"I get it, Bianca, and I'm sorry, but I would rather stay in Unova. I've got work to do."

Bianca sniffed on her side. _"Looks like being the new PWT manager has made you pretentious. But fine. I'll send lots of pictures, okay?"_

"Yup. Have fun."

Touya dropped the X-Transceiver onto his bed. The view from his nineteenth-floor hotel room in Driftveil was really quite stunning: neon lights from the PWT dyed the night sky with different colors every minute; cranes towered above everything in the construction site; the West River purled just a few meters away from the base of the hotel. Touya smiled. He remembered the Driftveil from two years ago, when it was just a dusty little town with squat brick buildings, its only notable feature being the Cold Storage. The development had been fast.

Touya's Swablu chirped from on top of the television set, and his Purrloin stalked it from the ground. Before either of them could get hurt, Touya threw them each a Poffin, keeping them distracted as they ate Sinnoh's most famous treat.

He had been working like crazy for a week, getting used to the demanding schedule of a PWT manager. It wasn't like he was the only one; just like being a Champion, there were others who worked together. Still, the workload was exceptionally heavy, and Touya found himself scraping by with barely four hours of sleep a night. He missed working as Champion; even if there was a lot of work being a co-Champion, he got to battle as part of his job.

Swablu screamed, and Touya groaned as he reached over to separate the bird and the cat. Purrloin growled and batted at the air when Touya picked it up, and Swablu cowered behind its cloud wings.

Touko took a shaky breath and stared up at the ceiling of the plane. Her motion sickness hadn't gotten any better in the past few months, even though she did more travelling than ever and took every medicine imaginable. She tightened her grip on her plastic bag as the plane's nose tilted down in preparation for landing.

Sinnoh's triangular landmass grew bigger steadily, and not a moment too soon, the plane touched down in Jubilife City.

Touko staggered out of the terminal, holding onto her carry-on suitcase for minimal support. She stopped at the escalator leading up to baggage claim, remembering at the last moment that she needed to find Dawn, who she would be working with in the Sinnoh League Evaluations. Luckily, she spotted the familiar face from her visit a year ago.

Dawn's beauty was like a magnet, drawing more than a few pairs of eyes. Shiny black hair that reached the waist, warm brown eyes that drew up at the corners, a full face that ended with a strong jaw… plain features that became stunning when put together the right way, like on her. She waved when Touko met her eyes.

"Hey, Dawn," Touko said, stomach finally calming.

"It's been awhile!" Dawn cried, taking one of Touko's three suitcases. "You've got three days to relax before we go on the evaluation trip."

"How long's the tour going to be again?"

"About two weeks. No planes or boats, I promise. At most cars or Pokémon." Dawn winked.

Touko drooped in relief, then looked around at the group. There were only four girls, including herself, and she was about to ask why when Dawn anticipated the question.

"The guys are waiting for Ethan, and a bunch of people couldn't come. There's me, you, Lucas, Ethan, and Calem." Dawn _tsk_ed. "Rosa's hurt, poor thing."

"Yeah, I saw her in the hospital." Touko shook her head. "She shouldn't have tried to backpack across Rainbow Valley by herself."

"She's always been hotheaded," Dawn said with a grin. "But let's get going to the hotel. Roark's waiting."

N stared at himself in the mirror that hung from the bathroom door. He had just cut his hair short and began wearing colored contacts, and he still couldn't get used to himself; whenever he stepped in front of a reflective surface, he would flinch, and his Sharpedo nearly attacked him with a jet of boiling water.

His Ampharos slumped against the wall. That Pokémon had always been rather susceptible to change, and it wasn't enjoying the move into a house in Nacrene at all, even though it had already been a month. N scratched under Ampharos' chin absently.

The house was nice, though, so N couldn't see why Ampharos would complain. It was one of the larger ones N had been in. There was a separate Pokémon room with separate spaces for different types, high vaulted ceilings for the bigger ones, and an indoor pool out back for the water-types; a steam room for both humans and heat-loving Pokémon; solid wooden floors that stayed refreshingly warm underfoot; and the best view in town of the entrance to Pinwheel Forest, the part with the broken railroad. N liked to watch young trainers fight with their beloved pets.

There was a pounding noise on the door of the Pokémon room, and N opened it for his Ponyta, which was holding an empty food bowl in its mouth. N laughed softly and followed it back into the fire-type enclosure, where some other Pokémon lounged. Ponyta stuck its head into the bowl as soon as N finished pouring the feed. He sat back on his heels and watched his Pokémon do their thing.

Charizard was basking in a patch of sunlight streaming in through the large window. Leafeon was licking itself next to the dragon. Primeape was chasing after Vigoroth, which had apparently taken the former's berry.

N sighed.

It had been awhile since he could just sit back and have fun while watching his Pokémon have fun. The last time was…great, there he was getting sentimental again. He leaned back against his Arcanine and listened to it growl in its sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Black and White**

_The last chapter was really short, my apologies. Hopefully this one will be better! As usual, I claim no ownership of Pokémon. _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Touya couldn't help but smile at the two trainers facing off on the PWT stage. They were obviously novices, but the serious looks on their faces showed that they were really trying hard.

He didn't have much time to sit around and notice, though. Soon, he would have to go off into the office to rearrange the rankings, then match up with the other regions for international rankings, then begin the tedious work of stage maintenance and prizes and background checks and…

Already, the final bells were ringing, and Touya hoisted himself out of his comfortable seat with a groan. He passed Lucia on his way to the office.

"Looks like it's your turn to do the records, huh?" Lucia said, giggling behind her hand.

Touya nodded. He was never sure what to say around Lucia; she was beautiful, with crystal eyes, porcelain skin, and blonde hair that fell naturally in gentle waves. She took his breath away…though not as much as someone in particular did.

"Well, good luck to you. Too much work isn't really good for your health." Lucia walked by.

Lucia's wonderful, Touya thought as he continued on down to his office. But she's not quite Touko, is she.

The warm scent of smoke lingered in his office from Markus, who had been there that morning with a cigarette. A brown bag with lunch was on his desk on top of a binder with the international rankings, and Touya's favorite fluffy Teddiursa stuffed animal sat on his desk chair.

Touya sighed and flopped into his office chair.

* * *

><p>It was a rare free day, and Touko savored it by curling up against her Ninetales and Zangoose next to the heater in her room of the villa. Sinnoh was unreasonably cold, even in the lush and green Emeragrove Town. While the boys and Dawn walked around in capris and tees, Touko forwent her tank and jean shorts, opting instead for cozy sweatpants and long sleeves.<p>

The heater rumbled along with the fox Pokémon. Touko ran her hand through the Ninetales` chest fur and felt its heart beating faintly against her fingertips. Ninetales nosed Touko's hair, then laid its head on her shoulder.

Touko would be returning to Unova in a few hours. As much as she hated to admit it, she was looking forward to going back; she loved Dawn and had become close to the boys, but she didn't love the permanent chill. Not only that, but Sinnoh food was much too spicy for her. Her digestive system was revolting.

Serperior slithered across the wooden floor and curled around Touko's legs. It was cold too; Touko could tell from the way the leaves on its tail drooped, from the way Serperior's collar twisted up.

Beartic was probably one of the few that enjoyed the cold, and it gave a happy little growl from the other side of the room.

Someone knocked on her door, and Touko motioned for her Lucario to get it. Dawn stood on the other side, a little surprised to see a Pokémon instead of a human but amused by the cuddling scene.

"Cute," she said, sitting down next to the mass surrounding Touko. Dawn gave Serperior a scratch on the head, and the snake moved its head into the newcomer's lap. "You'll be on your way home soon."

Touko nodded. "I'll miss you guys."

Dawn laughed. "I hope so."

The girls were silent for a while. Touko stroked her Zangoose's head; Dawn stared off into space, contemplating.

Finally, Dawn broke the silence.

"Met any cute guys lately?" she asked, smirking.

Touko raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think you were that type."

"No, I'm not." Dawn chuckled softly. "But we're girls, right? Aren't we entitled to some, ah, stupidity?"

"That's offensive." Touko couldn't help but laugh. "Answer is no."

"Good." Dawn looked up at the whitewashed ceiling. "Not good to get attached to things, you know?"

Touko looked over. "What do you mean?"

Dawn smiled sadly. "You remember Barry, from the last time you visited?"

"Yeah. What happened?"

"He was…in an accident."

Touko gaped. She remembered Dawn's energetic blonde boyfriend, who had accompanied her, Dawn, and Lucas on the first tour of Sinnoh. "I'm- I'm so sorry…"

Dawn closed her eyes. "That's alright. I'm fine now. After all, life doesn't always go well, does it? We can't get weighed down all the time." She pulled out a Poké ball and rolled it around in her hand. A Milotic floated in it. "This was his."

The shadows in the room suddenly seemed to grow darker. Touko's mind raced. Part of her train of thought was respect for Dawn's strength; another was of disappointment in herself for not getting over her own loss.

On the plane ride home, gliding over wispy white clouds, Touko realized that she had left her heart behind in Dragonspiral Tower two years ago.

* * *

><p>Every time a ponytail-wearing brunette walked past the Join Avenue office window, N would leap out of his chair. His colleagues were starting to worry.<p>

"Nick, what's wrong with you today?" Amber demanded, teetering as she carried a stack of papers taller than herself.

N lowered himself into his chair slowly and tried to smile as sheepishly as he could. "Nothing, just…just thought I recognized someone."

"Ye been doin' that for hours," Larry mumbled, scratching at his thinning brown hair.

The assistant to the head of Join Avenue, Marie, came in, pouting. "Some kids did the graffiti thing again."

"Where this time?" N asked. He was in charge of the northern part; if he had to "talk to" security again for the fourth time in a week, he would scream.

"That bakery in the middle section. Linda's freaking out."

N relaxed and smothered a smile when he saw Larry drop his head.

Marie stormed by, her flawless blue curls bouncing. She discreetly dropped an envelope onto his desk and brushed his hand. N flinched and slid a folder over the note. Was it another note from the Element Brothers about Touko?

When no one was paying any excess attention to him, N tore open the envelope and smoothed the paper, chest tight. He had heard earlier that Touko was back. There had to be more news about her. So what if he was being a stalker?

His heart dropped. It was just a proposal for dinner- from Amber, no less. A sticky note on the inside of the envelope was from Marie.

_Sorry, Nick. She insisted._

As if Amber knew, she sauntered by again, heels clicking on the wood and flipping her hair left and right. N sighed and slid the letter into the recycling bin as subtly as he could.

Marie's voice came on over the loudspeakers outside in the shopping area. "Valued customers, it is currently seven-twenty. In ten minutes, we will be closing up. Please bring purchases to the register at this time, or complete what other business you may have. Thank you for shopping with us!"

N stood up and gathered his things. This was his cue to leave, and he intended to make a break for it before Amber could get him. He dashed out into the desert in record time.

It was autumn, and the sun was beginning to dip under the horizon just a bit earlier each day. N could feel it, both in himself and the actions of his Pokémon.

When he reached a relatively isolated part of the desert, N released his Charizard and climbed onto its back, directing it to Nacrene City- home.

Flopping onto his messy bed with jazz music floating from a radio was a relief after his workday. He sat up and threw his shirt, tie, and khakis off, replacing them with his favorite sweatshirt and jeans.

N couldn't lie around forever. He had Pokémon- and himself- to feed before going out to do his weekend night job.

While a bowl of leftover rice and Pidove spun around in the microwave, N doled food out to each type group, starting from the demanding electric-types. He hurried to feed everyone; after all, he was behind schedule.

N shoveled his food down, then grabbed his guitar and ran out, barely checking to make sure that his door was locked. He passed musician after musician out on the Nacrene streets, hoping that his usual spot on the café porch wasn't taken.

Luckily, it stood empty, and N could start singing with a light heart.

As usual, people gathered around him, mesmerized. N hardly noticed; the words of his songs and his fingers on the guitar strings were the only things in his world when he sang. It wasn't something that he would have expect himself to like, two years ago, but now…

Coins began to fall into N's guitar case, followed by bills. More people sat down at the café tables, watching. A curious pair of Pikachu sat in front of him, and a Chatot hovered on the railing behind him, squawking occasionally.

Two hours flew by like two minutes, and before he knew it, it was ten. N finished his final song and replaced his guitar in its case to thundering applause. He smiled and prepared to shut the lid.

A hand darted out, dropping a handful of coins into the case. N glanced up. His eyes met with those of a pretty girl with loose brown hair, a pink hat, and dark blue eyes.

"You sound like someone I know," she said.

Her voice was achingly familiar, and N wanted to touch Touko's face so badly that his hands shook. Touko was there, right in front of him. But he was a stranger to her; he could see that in her eyes, in the lack of the loving smile he had come to know.

"I'll take that as a compliment," N said, finally.


	4. Chapter 4

**Black and White**

_The last chapter was really clichéd at the end, my apologies…but I'm afraid you'll have to deal with my incompetency with writing sentimental scenes. Also, this one won't be much better. Usual disclaimers: Pokémon and its concepts are not mine. I claim no ownership._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

Being home again was nice. Touko kicked her shoes off into a corner and threw herself onto her couch the moment she walked in, leaving her Gardevoir to lock the door behind her with its psychic powers. There wasn't much of a jetlag problem, in this case, but being delayed at the airport at Sinnoh, then having to land at Nacrene Airport instead of Opelucid International Airport, was bothersome. And tiring, both for Dragonite and Touko herself.

Strangely enough, her Pokémon weren't rushing her the way she expected them to. They hovered about, looking nervous. That put Touko on edge.

Slowly, she sat up. There _was_ something up. For a relatively messy house that had been left for two weeks, full of Pokémon who had free reign, Touko's house was extremely clean. The picture frames were shiny, the dining table was freshly scrubbed- there was even the scent of lemon cleaner-, and her refrigerator, when Touko went to check, was newly stocked with overly healthy foods that she never bought.

Chills raced down Touko's spine, and she slammed the fridge door shut. A nearby Pikachu flinched, then reached a stubby paw underneath the refrigerator. It searched around for something, then looked pleadingly up at Touko.

She kneeled down, looking in every direction before focusing on the task before her. "Hi, Pika. Didya get a toy stuck under there again?" The smile on her face felt frozen.

Pikachu looked at Touko desperately as she stuck her hand into the crevice underneath the refrigerator. To her shock, even that area was completely free of dust bunnies.

Her fingers brushed something metal.

Touko gasped and dragged it out with her nails. It was a tiny golden cubes with ridges on two sides, a hook on another, and wear scratches everywhere. One of its corners was worn to a nub and greyish, as if someone had run their fingers over it repeatedly.

The cube didn't look like anything special, but something prompted Touko to tuck it away into the inside pocket of her bag.

* * *

><p>Touya was a smart guy. He was socially competent, and he knew how to handle people.<p>

Unfortunately, he wasn't that great with girls when they tried on clothes.

"How does this look?" Bianca twirled around in front of him, the edge of her dress floating up gently.

By that time, three hours into a shopping trip, Touya knew better than to go into detail. "Looks great," he said, trying very hard not to yawn. That plush bench over there looked really comfortable, though.

Bianca pouted. "You know I'm excited to go on this date. Can't you be more helpful?"

"Bianca, I would love to help you, but I was working at the PWT from eight to ten yesterday, and I have mixed feelings about helping the matchmaker get ready for a date." Touya took a swipe at humor—

"What's that supposed that mean?" –and failed.

"Well, you're always setting me and Touko up for this kind of thing, but you've never really done any preparation for a date by yourself, so…"

Bianca sighed and clutched the hem of the skirt of her dress. She had grown her hair out in the past few years so that it fell down to around the bottoms of her shoulder blades, gentle waves of sunshine captured on a human head. Not only that, but her glasses were gone, replaced by contacts that made her bright green eyes shine even more.

"I mean…this date…it's with…" Bianca mumbled, and her voice trailed off. Touya leaned forward and touched his ear.

"Come again?"

Bianca flushed to the tips of her ears, and Touya nearly fainted from the shock.

"Are you sick?" he asked, reaching for her. "You're really red right now—"

"My date's with Cheren."

Her eyes were shut tight, like a Caterpie waiting for its doom in the form of a Pidgey. Any minute now, she thought, Touya would start yelling. They're best friends, and he knows how sensitive Cheren is—

"Congrats."

Bianca opened an eye. Touya was smiling widely, a faint pink dusting his cheeks. "That's awesome!" he said, taking Bianca's hands in his. "You know, he wanted to ask you out since we were thirteen, but I guess he didn't quite get around to it until now, huh?"

"R-really?"

"Bianca, I'm his best friend. I know this." Touya feigned a swoon. "Oh, romance!"

He never failed to make Bianca giggle. "Please, Touya, we're in public," she pleaded, barely managing herself to keep it together.

Touya sighed. "Alright, then. Get whatever _you_ like, because I'm sure Cheren would love it too."

Bianca bustled around, putting things away and trying others on, finally consulting herself and not the tired Champion. As Touya watched her smile to herself, he wondered if he could find that kind of happiness too.

* * *

><p>N wasn't a particularly brave person, but he took as much courage as he could muster to pay a visit to Touko's house.<p>

He knew he looked different, now that he had short and dyed hair, and brown eyes. He knew it was a horrible idea, to just show up at her door and say that he had been alive for so long, pining for and stalking her. He knew that he had scared her by leaving part of his cube in her house and cleaning everything up for her.

But was it so wrong to want someone so much?

N walked up the hidden forest path, the only way up to the scattering of houses where Touko lived. Bird Pokémon chirped somewhere in the thick foliage, and two little Wurmples crawled up to N, begging for food. He smiled and dropped a few Razz berries, looking back once to watch the Wurmples wrestle with each other.

The faint smell of blooming berry trees soothed N's frayed nerves. He stopped, trying to follow the smell. Perhaps he could give the flowers to Touko; women liked flowers, right?

The scent came from a small patch of soil right up near the river. A pitifully small berry tree—Qualot berries, possibly—carried huge blooms on its gnarled branches. N picked them carefully, then threaded a needle of wood through the bases so that they stayed together. It didn't work.

Or…he went back to the Wurmples. Each of them nibbled happily on a Razz berry. One was done and very content. N kneeled down next to it, talking to it in his mind. He got the message across, despite the other participant in the conversation being rather young, and watched as the Wurmple strung the flowers together with its silk.

All of these little things helped to take N's mind off of his upcoming task. After he dropped two Tiny Mushrooms as a reward, then took a deep breath and trudged through his doubts up to the house.

The sunlight became harsh as the leaf cover thinned out. N peered out from the forest to the houses, checking to make sure that no one was around. Then he remembered that being seen, by Touko, was the point. Feeling very naked, he took a step out. Then another. And another, until he was right in front of Touko's house.

Her house's thick wooden door suddenly felt rather intimidating. N swallowed thickly, then reached out to press the doorbell.

"…well, I wish that were the case!" someone said from down by the river. Someone else laughed. In a second, N was over the railing and searching for a place to hide. There wasn't one, so he was frozen in place, just waiting for the people to come and call him out for hanging around.

N forced himself to stay in plain sight, right at the base of the stairs leading up to the front door. He took deep breaths, watching the tops of heads appear. Neither of them came, and both had blonde hair. No Touko. N breathed a sigh of relief.

Suddenly, Touko's front door opened. N's body seized up, only his hands loose for fear of crushing the flowers.

Touko stuck her head out and looked around.

Then she saw N.


End file.
